2019 Conference USA Championships Day 2: FIU Takes Lead

Photo Courtesy: @FIUSwimDive Twitter

By Xonzy Gaddis, Swimming World College Intern.

The second finals session of the 2019 Conference USA Championships featured four events including the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free and 200 free relay.

Florida International University takes the lead with 328.5 points, followed by Rice University in second with 273.5 points, University of North Texas with 183.5 points, Marshall University with 159.5, Old Dominion University with 114 points, and Florida Atlantic University in sixth with 105 points.

Women’s 500 Free

Rice University sophomore, Ellery Parish, dominated the 500 free with a personal best time of 4:44.09, followed by FIU senior, Ocean Peretti right in second (4:46.76), and Rice junior, Claire Therien taking third place with 4:47.22.

Old Dominion’s Jacklyn VandePoel took fourth with a (4:51.82), followed by UNT sophomore, Leigh Faires McGee (4:52.21), sophomore Stephanie Hussey from FIU (4:52.24), Rice junior, Sarah Nowaski (4:53.19), and Hanna Huston, senior from Rice University taking eighth place with a 4:53.91.

  1 Parish, Ellery   SO Rice              4:49.50    4:44.09 NIAA    20  
    r:+0.84  26.89        56.14 (29.25)
        1:24.94 (28.80)     1:53.64 (28.70)
        2:21.93 (28.29)     2:50.36 (28.43)
        3:18.62 (28.26)     3:47.08 (28.46)
        4:15.77 (28.69)     4:44.09 (28.32)
  2 Peretti, Oceane  SR FIU               4:51.51    4:46.76 NIAA    17  
    r:+0.87  27.01        55.56 (28.55)
        1:24.11 (28.55)     1:52.89 (28.78)
        2:21.89 (29.00)     2:50.76 (28.87)
        3:19.71 (28.95)     3:48.72 (29.01)
        4:18.04 (29.32)     4:46.76 (28.72)
  3 Therien, Claire  JR Rice              4:50.34    4:47.22 NIAB    16  
    r:+0.72  27.16        56.46 (29.30)
        1:25.62 (29.16)     1:54.64 (29.02)
        2:23.66 (29.02)     2:52.90 (29.24)
        3:21.80 (28.90)     3:50.64 (28.84)
        4:19.33 (28.69)     4:47.22 (27.89)
  4 VandePoel, Jack  JR Odu Monarchs      4:54.49    4:51.82 NIAB    15  
    r:+0.76  26.80        55.79 (28.99)
        1:25.26 (29.47)     1:54.74 (29.48)
        2:24.22 (29.48)     2:53.93 (29.71)
        3:23.74 (29.81)     3:53.59 (29.85)
        4:23.19 (29.60)     4:51.82 (28.63)
  5 McGee, Leigh Fa  SO North Texas       4:54.12    4:52.21 NIAB    14  
    r:+0.70  26.60        55.79 (29.19)
        1:24.88 (29.09)     1:54.22 (29.34)
        2:23.42 (29.20)     2:53.11 (29.69)
        3:22.84 (29.73)     3:52.66 (29.82)
        4:22.83 (30.17)     4:52.21 (29.38)
  6 Hussey, Stephan  SO FIU               4:52.90    4:52.24 NIAB    13  
    r:+0.74  27.34        56.51 (29.17)
        1:25.85 (29.34)     1:55.24 (29.39)
        2:24.64 (29.40)     2:54.29 (29.65)
        3:23.94 (29.65)     3:53.72 (29.78)
        4:23.48 (29.76)     4:52.24 (28.76)
  7 Nowaski, Sarah   JR Rice              4:52.62    4:53.19 NIAB    12  
    r:+0.70  27.42        57.00 (29.58)
        1:26.44 (29.44)     1:55.54 (29.10)
        2:24.82 (29.28)     2:54.55 (29.73)
        3:24.45 (29.90)     3:54.15 (29.70)
        4:23.87 (29.72)     4:53.19 (29.32)
  8 Huston, Hanna    SR Rice              4:52.55    4:53.91 NIAB    11  
    r:+0.73  27.28        56.50 (29.22)
        1:25.92 (29.42)     1:55.51 (29.59)
        2:25.29 (29.78)     2:54.84 (29.55)
        3:24.63 (29.79)     3:54.54 (29.91)
        4:24.45 (29.91)     4:53.91 (29.46)

Women’s 200 IM

Marshall University junior, Catherine Bendziewicz, took first place in the 200 IM with a personal best of 1:58.94, leading at the 150. Rice freshman Marta Cano Minarro placed second four tenths behind Bendziewicz with a 1:58.98, follwed by FIU freshman, Holly Shepherd (2:00.21), FIU sophomore, Sara Gyertyfanffy (2:00.68), FIU junior, Carita Luukkanen (2:00.99), Rice sophomore, Hannah Sumbera (2:01.78), FIU junior, Taylor Grabenhorst (2:02.72), and Rice sophomore, Brittany Bui in eighth place with 2:02.94.

 1 Bendziewicz, Ca  JR Marshall          2:00.17    1:58.94 NIAA    20  
    r:+0.70  25.51        56.44 (30.93)
        1:31.00 (34.56)     1:58.94 (27.94)
  2 Cano Minarro, M  FR Rice              2:02.35    1:58.98 NIAA    17  
    r:+0.67  25.79        56.93 (31.14)
        1:31.70 (34.77)     1:58.98 (27.28)
  3 Shepherd, Holly  FR FIU               2:00.98    2:00.21 NIAB    16  
    r:+0.74  25.73        55.29 (29.56)
        1:31.08 (35.79)     2:00.21 (29.13)
  4 Gyertyanffy, Sa  SO FIU               2:03.24    2:00.68 NIAB    15  
    r:+0.68  25.09        56.63 (31.54)
        1:31.97 (35.34)     2:00.68 (28.71)
  5 Luukkanen, Cari  JR FIU               2:00.76    2:00.99 NIAB    14  
    r:+0.70  26.39        56.68 (30.29)
        1:30.91 (34.23)     2:00.99 (30.08)
  6 Sumbera, Hannah  SO Rice              2:02.80    2:01.78 NIAB    13  
    r:+0.75  26.59        57.01 (30.42)
        1:32.98 (35.97)     2:01.78 (28.80)
  7 Grabenhorst, Ta  JR FIU               2:03.71    2:02.72 NIAB    12  
    r:+0.70  26.75        59.47 (32.72)
        1:34.11 (34.64)     2:02.72 (28.61)
  8 Bui, Brittany    SO Rice              2:02.92    2:02.94 NIAB    11  
    r:+0.71  26.47        57.72 (31.25)
        1:33.18 (35.46)     2:02.94 (29.76)

Women’s 50 Free

Senior Naomi Ruele from Florida International University swept the 50 free with a quick 22.15, while senior from University of North Texas, Britt Thurstin took second with a 22.79, and junior Kate Nezelek from Rice right behind her with a 22.92.

Sophomore from Marshall University, Darby Coles, took fourth place with a 22.98, followed by a tie between UNT senior Emmabet Benson and Rice freshman Becca Evans both with 23.08, FIU freshman Paloma Sanchez (23.25), and FAU junior Fati Westbrook taking eighth place with 22.34.

1 Ruele, Naomi     SR FIU                 22.34      22.15 IV18    20  
         r:+0.69                       
  2 Thurstin, Britt  SR North Texas         22.84      22.79 NIAB    17  
         r:+0.62                       
  3 Nezelek, Kate    JR Rice                23.05      22.92 NIAB    16  
         r:+0.71                       
  4 Coles, Darby     SO Marshall            23.35      22.98 NIAB    15  
         r:+0.75                       
  5 Jensen, Emmabet  SR North Texas         23.09      23.08 NIAB    13.5
         r:+0.66                       
  5 Evans, Becca     FR Rice                23.20      23.08 NIAB    13.5
         r:+0.67                       
  7 Sanchez, Paloma  FR FIU                 23.23      23.25 NIAB    12  
         r:+0.66                       
  8 Westbrook, Fati  JR FAU                 23.37      23.44 NIAB    11  
         r:+0.66

Women’s 200 Free Relay

The final event of the night, the 200 free relay, was taken by Rice University at a 1:31.10. Nezelek led the Owls with a strong 23.16, followed by teammate Evans (22.58), senior Marie-Claire Schillinger (22.78), anchored in by Minarro with a 22.58.

FIU came in second place with a solid 1:31.39, followed by UNT (1:31.88), Marshall (1:32.31), and Old Dominion University taking fifth place with a 1:36.72.

 1 Rice                          1:33.59    1:31.10 NIAA    40  
     1) Nezelek, Kate JR              2) r:0.17 Evans, Becca FR       
     3) r:0.17 Schillinger, Maaire SR 4) r:0.21 Cano Minarro, Marta FR
    r:+0.72  23.16        45.74 (22.58)
        1:08.52 (22.78)     1:31.10 (22.58)
  2 FIU                           1:32.48    1:31.39 NIAA    34  
     1) Ruele, Naomi SR               2) r:0.22 Sanchez, Paloma FR    
     3) r:0.12 Bryant, Alexa JR       4) r:0.24 Fodor, Helga FR       
    r:+0.67  22.32        45.30 (22.98)
        1:08.40 (23.10)     1:31.39 (22.99)
  3 North Texas                   1:34.24    1:31.88 NIAA    32  
     1) Thurstin, Brittany SR         2) r:0.41 Sienczyk, Jowita JR   
     3) r:1.74 Opiela, Kelsey SR      4) r:0.21 Jensen, Emmabeth SR   
    r:+0.61  23.03        46.41 (23.38)
        1:09.36 (22.95)     1:31.88 (22.52)
  4 Marshall                      1:34.04    1:32.31 NIAA    30  
     1) Bendziewicz, Catherine JR     2) r:1.74 Robins, Hannah JR     
     3) r:1.65 Mooij, Raeleigh FR     4) r:0.21                       
    r:+1.39  22.97        46.15 (23.18)
        1:09.72 (23.57)     1:32.31 (22.59)
  5 Odu Monarchs                  1:37.76    1:36.72         28  
     1) Tinneny, Jacqueline FR        2) r:0.55 Campbell, Nikia SO    
     3) r:0.43 Nardone, FeFe SO       4) r:0.24 VandePoel, Jacklyn JR 
    r:+0.73  24.67        48.94 (24.27)
        1:13.21 (24.27)     1:36.72 (23.51)

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